Question

selection test: mrs. vargas and the dead naturalist (online)
read the following passage from \mrs. vargas and the dead naturalist\

finally, the curandera said to ellis, \we only see the ikeek, as we call it, when someone in the village is about to die. the bird wants to accompany the spirit back to the gates of heaven, so that it wont get lost.\

after that, ellis stopped asking the villagers for help, but continued to search the jungles on his own for two more days. he found a single yellow feather that could have belonged to any bird at all, but he took a picture of it, wrote down the location, and sealed it up in a little plastic envelope for further analysis.

which is the most accurate comparison of the villagers perspective on the bird with elliss?
a. both the villagers and ellis see the bird as a sign of death.

b. both the villagers and ellis see the bird as an object of admiration.

c. the villagers see the bird as part of nature that must be respected. ellis sees the bird as a part of nature to be exploited for his own gain.

d. the villagers see the bird as part of a story about the mysteries of life. ellis sees the bird as a mystery to track down, catalogue and analyze.

part b
based on the answer to part a, choose the idea that the ikeek bird most clearly symbolizes, or stands for, in the story.
a. the human fear of death

b. the human love of beauty

c. nature, and the different ways human beings relate to nature

d. the unknown, and the different ways human beings relate to the unknown

Explanation:

Part A

• For option A: Ellis doesn't see the bird as a sign of death; he collects a feather for analysis, so A is wrong.
• For option B: The villagers' view is about death, not admiration, and Ellis is analyzing, not admiring, so B is wrong.
• For option C: There's no indication Ellis wants to exploit the bird; he's analyzing, so C is wrong.
• For option D: Villagers see the bird in a mystical, life - mystery - related way (accompanying spirits), and Ellis sees it as a mystery to track, catalogue, and analyze. This matches their perspectives.

From Part A, we know the bird represents how different people relate to the unknown (villagers with a mystical story - based view, Ellis with a scientific analysis - based view). Option A is about fear of death, but the villagers' view is more about mystery of life/death transition, not just fear. Option B is about beauty, which isn't supported. Option C is about nature, but the focus is on the unknown (mystery of the bird's meaning, Ellis's analysis of an unknown - to - him bird) rather than nature in general. Option D matches as the bird symbolizes the unknown and different human relations to it.

Answer:

D. The villagers see the bird as part of a story about the mysteries of life. Ellis sees the bird as a mystery to track down, catalogue and analyze.

Part B